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A football supporter who intervened to stop a man accused of attempting to kill ten people on a train described the attacker as being “on a mission,” according to statements heard in court. Stephen Crean told the Cambridge Crown Court that he tried to prevent Anthony Williams from wielding a knife during the incident on a train that made an unscheduled stop in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, on November 1st of the previous year.
During the trial, Crean recounted the struggle with Williams, comparing it to a chaotic dance, saying, “like Come Dancing, we were all over the place.” He then retreated to a locked toilet where he made an emergency call to 999. Williams, 33, from Langford Road in Peterborough, faces charges of 10 counts of attempted murder, as well as allegations related to four other attempted murders in earlier incidents in Peterborough and London.
The court has already heard from five individuals who Williams is accused of trying to kill on the LNER service traveling from York to London King’s Cross. In a video interview shown during the trial, Crean explained that he had chosen his carriage intentionally because it was close to the buffet car, where he purchased a £6 meal deal. After finishing his food and drink, a young girl ran past him and shouted about a man with a knife, describing the weapon as “big” and causing panic.
Further evidence included CCTV footage of the buffet car and surrounding areas, showing the moments before the attack. Crean described his position near the buffet car door when he heard it open and realized that Williams was approaching. He recalled Williams asking, “Do you want to die?” before producing a large kitchen knife he would never forget. Passengers struggled to close the buffet car door behind Williams, and when it finally clicked shut, Crean moved towards him, determined to stop him from using the knife.
Wearing Nottingham Forest apparel, Crean said he tried to restrain Williams, resulting in cuts to his fingers as Williams twisted the knife during their fight. At one point, Crean went down and his phone was knocked away, but Williams told him to retrieve it. After the confrontation, Crean locked himself in a toilet, recalling, “I smiled, then middle-fingered him, then closed the door.” He then called emergency services, a first for him, and did not leave the locked space until he heard the police arrive.
When asked about Williams’ demeanor, Crean stated the attacker “100% was fine, he looked normal, he was just on a mission, he didn’t seem angry.” Besides the attempted murders on the train between Peterborough and Huntingdon, Williams faces allegations of trying to kill several other individuals including Raza Aslam, Sachin Balakrishnan, and others. Prosecutors also claim that the accused tried to kill three people in Peterborough on October 31st and attempted to murder a teenager on a Docklands Light Railway train in east London in the early hours of November 1st.
The court has been told that the incidents themselves are not disputed; the main issue for the jury to determine is whether Williams had the intent to kill. The trial is ongoing
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